High School Study Abroad in Flamingo, Costa Rica

West Coast Connection delivered an exceptional experience for my son on his Costa Rica trip this past June. The itinerary struck the perfect balance of adventure, cultural immersion and fun. He loved everything from helping at the wildlife sanctuary and constructing a new basketball court for a local school, to zip-lining, surfing and relaxing in the mud baths with new friends from around the world. As a parent, I appreciated how thorough and reliable the communication was from start to finish. The trip leaders were professional, enthusiastic, and clearly dedicated to creating a safe, positive environment. My son came home proud of the work he did, the connections he made and more curious about the world. This trip exceeded every expectation for both of us!

My daughter was a rising 10th grader and was on the Costa Rica service and adventure trip. She had such an incredible experience! She loved exploring the different areas of Costa Rica, the beautiful beaches, the stunning rainforests and waterfalls- and most importantly the life changing service experience. She wants to go back again and again!

Dylan found this experience incredibly meaningful as a way to give back to communities less fortunate. On top of that he had great fun and adventure with his friends. Thank you for an incredibly experience.

This was an amazing life experience for me and I highly suggest anyone thinking about going to just go, it's worth it. I increased my skills of water polo for sure, and it was a good way for me to practice meeting new people, this was really good because I am going to college soon, so it was a good practice.

I truly had the best time at GLASS. If anyone out there is considering it, if it's possible for them they should go! The other thing is if the price is daunting, many of my local businesses helped me out and either gave me things to sell or just made a cash donation. One more thing, Costa Rica is so gorgeous and introduced me to so many new experiences which I am so grateful for. The girls are a huge part of it but don't forget we also get to see Costa Rica in all it's glory!

GLASS was one of the best choices of my highschool career. Filling out the forms months before it I was nervous and excited, but the program made me the most happy and fulfilled than any summer job, party, or trip. GLASS allowed me to make connections to other girls across the country and learn valuable lessons about connection and communication through service. The girls that I met there helped build my confidence to meet new people and are real friends that I still talk to today.

I was scared about going outside of my comfort zone with traveling to a new place with entirely new people, but the relationships I formed and the experiences I had are once in a lifetime. I was able to travel somewhere I thought I would never go to and experience some of the most surreal places. I also gained friends that I am still in contact with 3 months after the trip.

I made so many wonderful memories and lifelong friends that I will never forget! I learned how to play in the European style of water polo which helped me in my regular season and eventually get recruited to play in college! I was also immersed in Greek culture and food.

The Volleyball Tour was truly so so fun, and I have no regrets. The country of Costa Rica was so beautiful and it was so cool to learn more about different cultures while playing the sport that I love!

When signing up I was super scared about traveling to a new country alone, but the mentors really helped guide and explain what to do. From check lists, to knowing what to do in the airport during layovers, the whole team worked together to stay in contact and help all the girls. By the time I left I was fully confident in my own abilities to travel independently and am super excited to do it more in the future.

This trip was an amazing experience and I would do it again! I gained so many new friends and memories that I will never forget! Getting to work with so many other talented athletes and coaches from all over was such an amazing opportunity! The sightseeing and tours were amazing and so pretty! I would 100% recommend it was worth it!!

Our daughter had an amazing time on the Lacrosse and Leadership trip to Australia this summer. She came home with new friendships, wonderful experiences on the lacrosse field coaching and playing with local clubs, gained insight about herself as a leader on and off the field, and a new found love for Australia! They were on the go each day and saw so many sights in Melbourne and Sydney, the Women's World Cup game they attended was a memory for the books! Thank you to the coaches and tour guides for a once in a lifetime adventure!

This trip was an amazing experience, if I could I would do it all over again. The food was sooo good and the views. Also being able to learn about a different culture and speak some of the language. Teaching one of our local guides some of my language was awesome, all well playing basketball. I loved it so much and would definitely recommend this to any other student athletes from my school. Thank you guys soo much for this opportunity in life, not a lot of Native American kids can do this so I’m happy I got to experience this.

This was a great trip experience for my 17-year-old daughter. She met new friends from across the U.S., played a sport she loves for pure enjoyment, and explored a new country with excellent experiences curated by a wonderful staff. The organization was excellent from the first inquiry phone call to the return flight home. As a family member back home, I was kept updated daily about the fun adventures and knew she was having the time of her life. Her coach recommended this because she attended a similar program in high school and it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I agree that it was in our family too.

Every detail was meticulously communicated via email ahead of time, making the process of sending my daughter overseas incredibly reassuring. I highly recommend this program; everything was thoroughly planned and communicated with an A+++++ level of professionalism, even with my high expectations. They consistently responded within 24 hours before our travel dates. When my daughter's flight was delayed, our contact person managed her arrival flawlessly, allowing us to stay relaxed at home knowing she was in good hands. I have very high expectations, and this program exceeded them. I’ll be sending my younger daughter as soon as possible! Thank you, BEYOND SPORTS, for giving my daughter the best 10 days she’s ever had. She’s never looked happier! You provided her with an unforgettable experience and new friends across the USA.

My daughter Yvette attended the High School Soccer Camp and had the time of her life!! As a parent, watching how nervous and anxious she was to go (it was her first time traveling without me) I wasn't sure how it would go. By the time my daughter came home, she had transformed into a more confident and outgoing leader who had the time of her life!! One critique; there was very little to no actual technical soccer skills or techniques taught. The focus was more on the social aspect, which is great, but my daughter definitely was hoping to learn some valuable soccer skills to bring back home, especially considering there were skilled soccer players there. Overall the trip was amazing for her and we appreciate and thank the Beyond Sports Program as well as everyone involved during the trip!

Thank you to the beyond sports organization for delivering an incredible experience for my daughter. The program was so well conceived, organized and executed. I can’t believe how much fun and learning and culture you packed into the trip and my daughter had an incredible time. It was a bit of a leap of faith not knowing anyone personally who had participated in a beyond sports program and it turned out to exceed all expectations.

Our shy 17-year-old jumped into this trip solo—and came back glowing. He made friends, felt included, and had a blast every step of the way. From sign-up to send-off, everything was smooth: flights booked, checklist handled, no stress. The staff exceeded our expectations with how quickly and thoughtfully they responded to any questions we had—they were truly top-notch. We also loved the private Instagram updates—seeing his smile in every photo was the best part of our day. He came home proud of the service work, energized by the adventures, and full of stories we’re still laughing about. If your teen’s on the fence, this is the leap they didn’t know they needed.

My 15 year old son went to the Costa Rica experience. He had so much fun in the program, and felt like he was able to actually be a help at the locations where they worked. He enjoyed all of the participants and loved the staff members!

We had a wonderful time on this trip! There was great food, excursions, transportation, and hotels! There was lots of fun memories made! Thank you for the experience of a lifetime!